Originally posted by diamond Also Senators and Presidents who-
abuse power
obstruct the law
lie under oath
prey on women
refuse to take ownership of their wrong doings are bad for America
and
bad for humanity..
Simple as that.

Or, in the case of former President Reagan with the Iran-Contra scandal, you pretend that you don't remember anything.

Originally posted by martha It's interesting how all of you guys start out by saying how much you can't stand the old boy, and then bring up other people to take the focus away from someone who appears to have been very consistent in his bigoted views and the expression of those views.

Why are you defending him? Seriously. Why? And please try to keep the focus of your comments on Trent. Please don't point to the other boys who jumped off the roof, too, and didn't get yelled at.

Why would you defend a bigoted old bastard who finally got the shit he deserved for the thinking and actions he's pursued for years?

Or you can dismiss me as a liberal, and refuse to answer me. (Which will answer my question in ways you may not have intended.)

(Notice how I've not mentioned anyone else here, not any other Republicans or Democrats who've said stupid, racist stuff.)

Martha:

I consider myself to have always gotten along quite well with you in these forums and I recall us always treating each other with respect. But if I am reading your response here correctly, then I must admit that I am currently a bit disappointed.

The article that dreadsox posted (maybe in another thread) about Jackson, Kerry et al. made me think about the bi-partisan presence of off-color humor. And my own knowledge of the history of Southern politics made me think of the hypocricy of the sermons that have been preached this week by Clinton and Gore.

I would have had no problem with Senator Daschle or Congressman Gephardt bashing Senator Lott, but to hear Al Gore doing it, and then hearing Clinton backing him up on it, really made me feel the need to post the things I posted in my reply.

We should not overlook what Senator Lott said; we should not overlook the racist past of Strom Thurmond. By that same measure, we should not overlook the racist past of Robert Byrd, a ranking Senate Democrat. Why was it so wrong for me to bring up these other folks? Just because they are Democrats? I hate to tell you this, but if you mop a floor that appears to be squeaky clean, you will pick up some dirt, regardless of the party affiliation of that floor.

Isn't their an opinion developing in some other thread to the effect that, "since the U.S. has used weapons of mass destruction on other countries in the past, the U.S. should not be able to tell Iraq not to use them"? Well, let's localize it a bit, and apply the same standard to finger pointing politicians. Maybe the whole bunch should either point out every bad thing their colleagues have done, or never say anything bad their colleagues have done.

Basically, I just found it ironic that people like Clinton, Gore and Kerry were salivating over Lott's demise when they had similar issues closer to home.

And for the last time, I DO NOT LIKE LOTT, I DID NOT LIKE LOTT, AND I AM GLAD HE IS NO LONGER THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER.

Nixon? He was completely guilty, and Nixon had the taped conversations to prove it.

Melon

Ah, yes! Let’s not forget John Dean who told us about the tapes.
For the most part, it’s seems those “pubs’ have never been able get rid of the evidence.

I have often wondered if Webster Hubbell had “flipped”, instead of biding his time for a consultancy at 300K , or if Ollie N. hadn’t got immunity, or if they had been able to recover “ No controlling legal authority” Al’s email…too bad Monica didn’t swallow.

Does anyone not find it funny how GWB said a week after all this happened that he didnt agree. Then when Lott resigned bush said he was sad to see him go and he was a close friend and a great person. if he would have said that to begin with would Lott still be around?

Bonofellow-
The real story is GW wanted him gone and silently orchestrated his removal.
Also since Trent appears to be contrite GW says nice things to now that he is gone.
GW is a polictian w good timing..

Originally posted by bonoman Does anyone not find it funny how GWB said a week after all this happened that he didnt agree. Then when Lott resigned bush said he was sad to see him go and he was a close friend and a great person. if he would have said that to begin with would Lott still be around?

Bonoman.....

Newsweek has a great article on the situation. I read it last night after all the posting. It basically leaves me with the impression that Bush wants to court the center more in the next election. Something he will be able to do since he is not going to be challenged for the nomination so he does not have to court the extreme right as he did in the last election after losing New Hampshire.

Politically, Bush's handlers are very very smart. In public last week he blasted Lott and in private, he had his people work hard to remove Lott behind the scenes. This removed the issue from the hands of the Democrat, and made him look like he was promoting his agenda of compassionate conservatism.

THis week he will publicly go on the record as saying he does not think Lott should have stepped down and that Lott is not a bigot. Even though behind the scenes he had him removed. It is in Bush's best interests to have Lott removed so that the party is not perceived as the party of bigotry in the next election. It is also in his best interests to have his hands clean from the removal so that he does not lose the support of the right.

By doing this he has just made the republican party stronger. He has his own man as majority leader and will now be able to put forward a more compassionate conservative adjenda.

Pub Crawler....

My policing comment has to do with the above statement. Bush has made the party stronger and taken the issue from the democrats. It is bad for the party to have it perceived as being a party of 'Bigots". I still think it sucks that an off the cuff comment gets blown out of proportion. However, perception is reality, and it was time for the good of the party to cut the bait.

There is a *big* difference between Watergate and having sex with an intern.

I think I made it clear....I could care less who or what he was having sex with. Please do not turn it into he was being a naughty boy by having sex. I am willing to bet a majority of our Presidents have been bad in the White House.

The "MAJOR" issue that I have here is the man did not perform his job as president. He took an oath to uphold the constitution. He lied under oath. I do not care what he lied about.

It is sad that people always think the issues with Clinton were about sex. Telling the truth when you are supposed to uphold the Constitution is the issue by interfering with a criminal investigation. And deep down, isn't that what Nixon was doing too?

When the soldiers who serve in our armed forces can be dismissed from the service for the very same offenses, I think it is reasonable to hold the president to those same standards.

Again....

If the man had stepped down, there would have been no long drawn out hearings. Al Gore would probably have had the edge to win.

By that same measure, we should not overlook the racist past of Robert Byrd, a ranking Senate Democrat. Why was it so wrong for me to bring up these other folks? Just because they are Democrats?

Of course not.

But that's a classic move to deflect attention and criticism; bringing up the transgressions of others, particularly members of the opposition, to soften something that one of your own has done. So many of the posters in this thread kept insisting that Lott was a some kind of victim of something other than his own way of thinking.

I certainly can appreciate it when Democrats get called for doing or saying something stupid, racist, or sexist (not Democrats!). It's when that's repeatedly brought up as some kind of justification for not going after someone like Lott that I disagree with it.

And, since when is a son responsible for the actions of his father? Or is there someting about Al Gore your not telling me?